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England (Country) (DC Comics)

England i/ˈɪŋɡlənd/ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, while the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.

England's terrain mostly comprises low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there are uplands in the north (for example, the mountainous Lake District, Pennines, and Yorkshire Dales) and in the south west (for example, Dartmoor and the Cotswolds). The former capital city of England was Winchester until London took over in 1066. Today London is the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. England's population is about 51 million, around 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, and is largely concentrated in London, the South East and conurbations in the Midlands, the North West, the North East and Yorkshire, which each developed as major industrial regions during the 19th century. Meadowlands and pastures are found beyond the major cities.

The Kingdom of England—which after 1284 included Wales—was a sovereign state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union put into effect the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union the previous year, resulting in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1801, Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland through another Act of Union to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922, the Irish Free State was established as a separate dominion, but the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 reincorporated into the kingdom six Irish counties to officially create the current United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Location Details

Characteristics

Dimensions: 130,395 km²

Population: 51, 000, 000 (approx)

History

England is the largest country in the United Kingdom, sharing land borders with Scotland and Wales. To the west of it is the North Sea, to the east the Irish Sea and to the south the English Channel which separates it from continental Europe. The country also includes more than 100 smaller islands including the Isle of Wight and the Scilly Isles. England has been inhabited by modern humans since the upper Palaeolithic period but takes its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe who settled there in the 5th and 6th Centuries AD (another, early name for the entirety of the British Isles was 'Albion'). It became a unified state in 927AD, and despite numerous attempts, has not been successfully invaded since the Norman landings in 1066. Wales was effectively annexed by England in 1284, and in 1707 with the Act of Union, it joined with Scotland to become the new Kingdom of Great Britain, which incorporated Ireland from 1800 (Ireland would become a free state in 1922, but in 1927 the six Irish counties forming Northern Ireland rejoined the union). England's capital city is London, the most densely populated area in the country, located in the south east, with the Palace of Westminster being the seat of the British Parliament which directly governs England (though the other countries in the UK have devolved governments of their own). The country, a Parliamentary democracy with a consitutional monarchy (the current head of state being Queen Elizabeth II) is a member state of the European Union, much to the annoyance of many of its citizens.

Like the rest of the British Isles, England has strong connections to various mystical realms, and it was the site of Camelot, the court of King Arthur, whose champions included the Shining Knight. Modern day champions of the country include the Knight and the Squire. For a brief time, Justice League Europe was based in London.